Over the last two years, I have written for content mills. I used them to supplement my income while I was in between writing clients. Writing for them was, at times, a soul-sucking experience, but I needed the money.
I’m sure a lot of people say that after they have done something horrible. I even wrote glowing biographies of Sarah Palin and Ted Cruz because I needed the money. This has been a major regret of mine, using my talent to, even in a small way, further their careers. But again, I needed the money.
The money paid out by these content mills is not very good and making a living at it is almost impossible. With pay ranging from 1-3 cents per word, keeping the lights on writing exclusively for content mills is a struggle, to say the least.
The work is steady, though, and I could always count on at least $100 per week. And there were times when that $100 came to my rescue. Did I mention I needed the money?
The main benefit I received from writing for the mills is that it taught me to write quickly and succinctly. There was no tolerance for padding the wordcount or fluff. I learned how to do “SEO writing” and that has helped me as well.
But now I can truly say goodbye to that type of writing life and it is all because of Steemit. With this platform I can now write about those things that truly interest me and that I want to share with others.
I have said it before, but Steemit has truly changed my life. There is nothing more powerful than a writer who is writing about what he loves and believes in. I have spent far too long writing about “5 Ways A Digital Agency Can Get You More Business” or “How To Get The Perfect Smile.” Those days are gone.
Thanks to Steemit and all you who have read and responded to what I have written, I am now on a better path. One that puts real value on the words that I write. One that builds community and rewards the creators.
It’s a new day, and a new life, for me. One based on contribution and community and one that does not include content mills.